My Kind of Wonderful(44)

“Did you say two nights?” he asked, holding up a bottle of wine and a bag of Chinese takeout. “Or three?

Holding his gaze, she took the bag, dropping eye contact to peer in at the food. She smiled. “Oh, most definitely three.”


The following week was as crazy as all the others in ski season. On Thursday night Hud took his mom out for her “birthday.” On Friday he, Aidan, and Gray went out to dinner. They shared a pitcher of beer and recapped their week. This was usually a weekly thing. Sometimes Penny and Lily joined them, but tonight it was just the boys plus Kenna. She had blessed them with her presence even though she did spend most of the time on her phone.

Aidan gave Hud a worried look, but Hud knew she was simply playing Words With Friends and probably at this very moment kicking his ass.

“Our insurance company called to let us know we had three serious injuries this week,” Gray announced.

“Actually it was four,” Kenna said with head down and still concentrating on her phone. “Don’t forget that stupid snow bunny who sat too close to the fire pit in the lodge. She was striking poses on the bench in front of it, trying to get a good selfie, and fell on her ass. And since she was wearing ridiculously high-heeled boots, she couldn’t get up quickly and singed her hair extensions. Our mountain had nothing to do with it.”

“Yeah, well,” Gray said, annoyed. “However it happened, they’re sending a rep out next week to discuss better safety precautions. I don’t care if we have to put a sign by the fire pit that says women with hair extensions have to sit twenty feet back, we have to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Gray took any affront on the resort personally.

Kenna rolled her eyes. “You can’t put out a sign like that. You’ll have feminists the world over hating on you.”

“Fine, make the sign say that anyone wearing hair extensions needs to stay twenty feet from the fire.”

“We’ve upped our training from every other day to every day,” Hud chimed in, hoping to avoid a fight. “We’re fully staffed. Unlike most of the other resorts, we didn’t make big cuts on either staffing or safety. They’re not going to find any reason to mess with you.”

“Yeah, well, see that they don’t.” Gray thumbed his way down a list on his iPad. “We were asked to sponsor the high school’s ski team again this year.” He lifted his head and looked at Hud. “They’re down a coach and asked for you. You got any time available?”

Shit. No he didn’t. And yet he could remember when all he’d wanted was to be on that ski team. There’d never been enough money for it. No way did he want a single kid to miss out on a dream because of money. “I’d find time if they let us give out scholarships for kids who have the skills but not the money. If I’m the coach, no one misses getting on the team for lack of funds.”

Gray eyed him over the iPad, amused. “And you’re going to pull the money for the scholarships from where exactly, your ass?”

“We’ll find the money.”

Aidan refilled Gray’s beer. “I’m with Hud. We’ll find the money.”

“Christ,” Gray grumbled, and made some notes. “‘Find the money,’” he muttered. “Sure, we’ll just find the goddamn money.”

“I have the money,” Kenna said, actually looking up from her phone.

When Gray started to open his mouth, she set down the phone—something rarely seen out in the wild—and stood up. And then, making a face at how short she still was, she let out a pissy noise and stood on her chair, snatching the pitcher of beer to her chest as she did. “You won’t let me help the resort,” she said to the table. “You won’t let me do shit because you think I’m fragile. Well fragile this, I’m not giving the beer back until someone says I can sponsor the goddamn high school ski team with my own goddamn money!”

“You have my vote,” Aidan said.

Kenna eyed him. “You just want more beer.”

“Yes,” he said seriously. “But I also want to see you smile.”

“I vote for you too,” Hud told her. “On one condition. I’m going to need a co-coach for the ski team.”

Kenna turned to him. “Me?”

“Well, I didn’t mean the Easter Bunny.”

Kenna stared down at him very solemnly. Heartbreakingly earnest. “You want me to co-coach with you.”

“God yes,” he said. “Have you met any high school girls?” He shuddered. “They’re terrifying.”

She blinked and then gave him a smile that seemed more than a little rusty.

“Cool?” he asked.

“Cool,” she whispered. She carefully climbed down off her chair and filled up his beer to the tippy top.

“Hey,” Aidan said. “What about me? I voted for you first, chica.”

She filled up Aidan’s glass too.

Gray raised a brow.

“First you have to say you would’ve voted for me if I’d asked,” she said.

“Whatever you want,” Gray said.

She laughed in delight. “Whatever I want?”

“Yes,” Gray said. “Because you are to me what high school girls are to Hud. Terrifying.”